Steven Crowder & Trevor Noah to debate over Joe Rogan?
Neo-soul singer India.Arie joined Daily Show host Trevor Noah on Monday to reflect on the decision to remove her music from Spotify, and to clarify her stance on the streamer’s controversial host, Joe Rogan.
“I have learned in my life to make room and forgiveness for people who are unconsciously racist because our whole society is built on racist concepts,” the Grammy award-winning singer told Noah during the 30-minute conversation.
“I think that [Joe Rogan] is being consciously racist. … The fact that he [said the N-word] repeatedly and was conscious and knew — I think that is being racist. And I don’t like even saying that because I’m a sensitive, old soul, and I want to believe the best in people.”
Rogan apologized earlier this month for his repeated use of the N-word over the years on The Joe Rogan Experience, after Arie posted a video montage of him using the racial slur roughly two dozen times. In his public apology, Rogan attempted to explain his reasoning for using the N-word, saying, “I thought as long as it was in context, people would understand what I was doing.” He added that he is “not racist,” but acknowledged that he “fucked up.”
“When I first heard his apology, my instinct is to go, ‘He tried,’” Arie said. “But when I go deeper and ask myself what I really think… is that he was being consciously racist and it makes me wonder what he talks like behind closed doors.”
